Ball-counting machine



M. PERDUE AND W. A. SHAW.

7 -BALL COUNTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1920- 1,438,1 9, I Patented Dec. 12,1922.

H z g zvmjvrofis mm M. PEHDUE ANDW. A. SHAW.

BALL COUNTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1920.

1,438,189. Patented Dec.12, 1922'.

t I 2 SHEETS'SHEET 2.

also secured to rot-ate with shaft 11 in any suitable manner, such as by thecross pin 30.

The counting device lies at the center, of the bottom of the upper chamber in which the balls to be counted are contained, and the edges of the floor members 7 are IJIiEfQI. ably slotted out, as at 31, to receive the transverse walls 22 and are provided with tongues 32 which enter the spaces between the projections 26.

The apparatus maybe used for counting any kind of like articlestof spherical or other shape,'especially where it is desired to package such articles with a definite number in a package. One example of such use is in packag' 1g chewing gum which is frequently put up in the form of candy coated spheres, one hundred or some other number to a package. The present apparatus, as illustrated in the drawings, is designed for counting out one hundred balls for a package. Consequently the shaft 11 is provided with ten'of the members 21, each having ten chambe s or compartments 25. Fig. 4 rep resents the normal position of the parts, in which the pawl 19 engages the tooth 18. By releasing the pawl 19 the shaft 11 may be turned through one complete revolution until pawl 19. again engages the stop tooth 18. During said complete revolution each one of the compartments in turn enters the chamber in the upper part of the casing, receives its ball and carries the ball to and discharges it upon the table 8. lfnythe discharging position the balls readily roll out of the compartments upon saidtable. One compartment can receive no more than a single balland filling of all compartments is insured by the constant stirring action produced by the projections 26.

What we claim is:

1. Ball counting apparatus, comprising a container having walls converging to a bottom opening, a counting device closing said opening and comprising a rotary cylindrical member having a series of longitudinally and annularly extending walls forming ball receiving compartments, said annular walls having outward extensions forming stirring members.

2. Ball counting apparatus, comprising a container having walls converging to a bottom opening and provided with narrow slots adjacent said opening, a counting device closing said opening, said device comprising a cylindrical member rotatable in one direction only and having a series of longitudinally and circu'mferential'ly spaced ball receiving compartments, and stirring members carried by said device and distributed circumferentially around the same and passing through said narrow-slots.

3. Ball counting apparatus, comprising a container having walls converging to a bottom opening, a counting device closing said opening, said device comprising a rotary cylindrical member having aseries of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced ball receiving compartments, means at one end of saiddevice for preventing reverse turning movement thereof, and releasable stop means at the other end of said device for normally preventing turning movement of-saio device in the discharging direction beyond a complete revolution. p

4. Ball counting apparatus, comprising a container having walls converging to a bottom opening, a counting device closing said opening, said device comprising a shaft, and a series of like members nested together on said shaft, each. of said members having a transverse wall and a series of radial walls and adapted with an adjacent member to form a series of circumferentially spaced compartments.

5. Ball counting apparatus, comprising a two membered frame divided on a horizontal-plane, the upper member of said frame having walls converging to an opening near said plane, and a rotary counting device journalled on a horizontal axis between the two members of said frame and closing said opening.

6. Ball counting apparatus, comprising a two membered frame divided on a horizontal plane, the upper member of said frame having walls converging to" an opening near said plane, and a rotary counting device journalled on a horizontal axis'between the two members of said frame and closingsaid opening, said device having a series of longitudinally and circumferentially spaced ballreceiving compartments and asingle delivery spout carried by the lower frame member and arranged to receive all the balls discharged. by said device.

7. Ball. counting apparatus, comp rising a two membered frame divided on a horizon tal planc,'the upper member of saidframe halving walls converging to; an opening near said plane, a rotary counting device journalled between the two members of said frame and closing said opening, said device having a series of longitudinally and circumferentially. spaced ball receiving compartments, means carried by the upper member for preventing reverse rotation of said device, and the lower member being provided with a delivery table upon which all of the balls are discharged by said device.

MELVIN PERDUE. WILLIAM A. SHAW. 

